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Re: R. Russell queens

"Worth a try unless you prefer to do nothing. Your choice either way."

Can't say doing nothing was an option since I tried repeatedly to contact them. Since I also run a business I understand all that's involved when you sign up to sell a product. Taking everyone's $$ a year in advance for a product and then not delivering either a response, refund, or the actual product is not acceptable. To say they weren't prepared for the retail small orders, duh, then give us the $$ back. We'll go somewhere else. But take the $$ then say you're not happy with allllll the emails, calls for the onesy's, twosey's, etc..... duh, it was good to start when they were on the receiving end. Sorry, I'm embarrased for them that with allll the supposedly good things they're trying to do for their community with whose $$??? Well, some of mine thank you very much.

"Vote with your feet" ?? I would only guess that to mean run very fast somewhere else!!!! With VP queens, Honey Run, Zia, Glenns, Purvis, why would anyone waste their $$ on this bunch?? Sorry, just my .02 after my own experience.

Re: R. Russell queens

My recent experience mirrors that of some others. I'd ordered some queens from Russell last year, and then ordered moonbeams June 8, 2011. They were delivered June 1, 2012. In addition Robert had them pack in a couple sunkists as a bonus. The sad news is they bees were universally rejected except one that never got to laying. I had noticed the package sat in a postal depot for a full day in Mississippi before USPS sent it along. So despite it being a guaranteed delivery for May 31, it showed up a day late. A number of people reported similar issues with bees sent around this time (rejected queens), and I suspect it may have been a case of a # of bees sitting in too hot environment for too long and being damaged.

Russell sent another shipment of queens a week and a half later, this time by UPS 2nd day. Those queens arrived completely dead.

The only issue on Russell's part happened here. They closed the front office for a week as everyone was overworked dealin with all the crises, and didn't alert me, and all my hives were now queenless and running out of brood (as I'd culled the queens on remainder for the two bonus sunkist). So I was sending emails as I expected a Monday or Tuesday shipment according to an email I received and got no responses. I ended up PMing with Robert after not hearing anything from RA via email. Unfortunately one of my hives had gone laying worker and I was worried another was close, so I only had him send a sub portion of the queens, as no use for them on the LW hives.

He helped get things sorted and once people were back in, they sent the selected bees out UPS next day. I offered to help with shipping, he turned it down, despite RA now clearly losing money on me. I drove to meet the truck as they once gain were going to deliver in the PM rather than morning despite being next day. Installed the queens, and this time, no problems. I've shook one laying worker hive in and buttressed one of them, and will be stacking the other atop another laying worker hive for a few weeks so its brood pheremones can 'tame' the workers. After that we'll see what happens.

While the situation is unfortunate for me, really RA went above and beyond, reshipping queens, not once, but twice, eating the cost of both the queens and the shipping. The only hiccup was a one week unannounced gap for a sanity break.

Knowing how things are at RA, I was persistent but also polite in my communications, reaching out via both email and PM repeatedly, knowing they can be a bit overwhelmed. I've said before that I can absolutely understand customers for whom the lack of communication and reliability on ship dates makes it not worth it, but my experience is that RA backs their product when there are problems with it and that is more important to me. Obviously it would be best if there were both good communications, as well as their commitment to quality, but I'm happy for the latter.

I am sad/bemused to hear of those who never had responses to large purchases that didn't show up. I also wish there was less antagonism between satisfied and unsatisfied customers. The tone of conversations has been unfortunate.

All I can say is continue to try and write, they do seem to be trying to get out from the backlogs as they also shift to the sub-producer model to avoid these problems next year.

Re: R. Russell queens

In my quest for a refund ive been dished on like i was running for political office. I ve been to his site too many times , It seems to be down alot if your not ordering . I signed ..got in...looked around..guys with big orders ,,no queens .I saw the crud they dished on Lauri , what they did to everyone complaining that they took the money and no reply .I was kinda of schocked to see it wasnt scrubbed. 2 banners anti beesource ..and they used the same screen names as here . My payment was 13 months ago ,,,what dont you get ? Its like this ..Bob used bee source to promote his product ,, and the fans raved . The cool aid drinkers ,When Johnny Apple seed reads the rave reviews they buy them . But Bob doesnt ship, he put his head in the ground and makes his own site . How many years am i to wait cuze ive heard its worth the wait ,,? I'll gladly pay you for a hamburger tuseday for a queen in 2013? If ya take somebodies money ya better send them something . This biz is not trustworthy ...what can i say ? I called 4 queen breeders this season ,,broke, kelleys .fergusons, gia ...4 of the 4 i was on a waiting list . They didnt take money until they had bees to ship .Im still waiting on gia , but Melonie will shoot me a email when im up on the list . Try this ,,,ya want queens ,,pick a brand and add 5 $ ...i'll call breeders and have them shipped , order from dr bob and i can pocket the money..keep in mind shipping costs . Fergusons was 70 bucks , at that price i had to buy 2 more to dial down costs . Ive never posted on bobs site,,,i get a thank you for your intrest post when i try to sign in . I'll shut up when i have a cleared refund check .Might even have a pig picking with the money , ya all are invited . 4 words of adivce , dont waste your money.

Re: R. Russell queens

Originally Posted by Birdman

I had four Emails about shipping no reply. I used a diffrent email address put need queens asap, didn't take long to get a reply. I think they flag all email once they recieve payment. I posted on russell fourm if I didn't have my queens or money I would be calling the BBB and atonery gen , Monday. Two hours later paypal email fund returned to card. I will still ride along if anyone's going that way.

I would have expected different email addresses to mess them up.

You must have been pretty aggravated to threaten to call both the BBB and the Mississippi Attorney General.

Re: R. Russell queens

I don't hate Russell or his Apiaries, I just wish I would have recieved the 15 queens I paid for. I vey much think the less of him because I ddn't and no I will not patrolnize him again. That would be insanity by definition. I used to defend him too

Originally Posted by Keth Comollo

Will these "I hate Russell Apiaries" threads ever die. If you don't like them don't order from them. Get a life already.

Re: R. Russell queens

Hey Barry does this thread ever end. RA customer SVC sucks what else can be said. People place a complaint with the BBB and put RA on the spot after enough complaints he will really have problems cause then the world sees he takes his customers for granted. Atleast start a new RA thread.

Re: R. Russell queens

Not true.

Riverrat, I don't expect the complaints to end until consumers either get their bees or get their refund. The elephant in all this is the lack of refunds. This seems to be a recurring issue with some of the threads in this section. There are members who have paid for bees MANY months ago (up to 12 months) and still haven't received a refund. Yet other's come on here and tell how they placed an order a few weeks ago and promptly received their bees. Old business deals continue to be ignored while new ones get the attention.

Re: R. Russell queens

To all posting on the subject of Russell, refrain from starting new threads. There are already plenty of threads going on this topic, we don't need anymore! Also, DO NOT cross-post the same message to all the different threads like I just did!!

***************** End Notice ***************

Is that not what that says? A ban on new Russell Threads?

Looks like it to me.

Originally Posted by Barry

There are members who have paid for bees MANY months ago (up to 12 months) and still haven't received a refund. Yet other's come on here and tell how they placed an order a few weeks ago and promptly received their bees. Old business deals continue to be ignored while new ones get the attention.

Originally Posted by Barry

Any posts that make subjective comments on another member's experience, either good or bad, will be deleted.

Hmm. It would be nice if the moderator could follow his own directions.

Re: R. Russell queens

thank you Barry this is what reviews are for. Once (if) my problem with them gets fixed i will let people know, but this i do know, i never had this poor of experience with a queen breeder. But it does sound like there is hope for me getting this resolved. Nick

Re: R. Russell queens

I am going to pull the last of my 2012 crop today and last summer as soon as they became available to purchase, I paid my $40 each for a piece of the dream! Well I am still waiting for my vaunted Russell Moonbeam queens. What possible good would they do me now if I got them? I see they are still selling queens for delivery and have been all summer. Why is that not a Ponsi scheme. I believe the man is a student of government!